De Klerk meets Mandela to spur talks

President F W de Klerk met Nelson Mandela, leader of the African National Congress (ANC) for talks yesterday to discuss the halting progress of South Africa's democracy talks, Reuter reports from Johannesburg. Gill Marcus, an ANC spokeswoman, said the chief constitutional negotiators for the government and the ANC, were also taking part in the talks in Pretoria. Asked about the agenda for the previously unannounced talks, she said: 'It's pretty obvious: the negotiations, and the deadline of 3 June for announcing an election date.'

Meanwhile, Mr de Klerk has named a former anti-apartheid MP to head the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). Frederick van Zyl Slabbert, former head of the liberal Democratic Party, will head a new SABC board of 25 members. The board contained seven changes to a list first submitted to Mr de Klerk by a special selection panel of lawyers and judges. But the ANC issued a statement saying Mr de Klerk had 'grossly interfered with the autonomy of the selection panel'. Mr van Zyl Slabbert rejected his appointment as chairman, the SABC reported. It quoted him as saying he was not happy with the selection process.